Mulholland Drive Annex – architecture
This landmarked residence, designed by Case Study architect Rodney Walker in 1954, is restored and expanded. Preserving the integrity of the historic house was paramount, as was emphasizing its thoughtful proportions and sight lines. In volume, the new annex doubles the livable space of the residence, adding bedrooms, a pool and a paved terrace. In plan, it consciously echoes the compartmentalized ground floor and open second-floor layout of the Walker house. True to the scale and simplicity of the original structure, the annex is carefully nested in the hillside. The two are attached only via a concrete bridge, a catwalk library that meets the second floor of the Walker house at natural grade. With its top floor cantilevered above the site, the annex ground floor footprint remains contained and distinct from the old house.
Both commanding and discreet, maximizing the flow of light and air, and pushing the concept of indoor/outdoor living, the annex is airborne over the property and open to its extensive views.
AIA Los Angeles Design Merit Award, 2015.
Corey Lee – identity graphics accessories objects
a l m project’s collaboration with Chef Corey Lee began in 2009 with the design of his now three-Michelin starred restaurant, benu; extended through the establishment of Lee’s French restaurant concept Monsieur Benjamin; and continues today with In Situ, a new project at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. We created the benu identity to elegantly reflect Lee’s belief that cooking thrives on creating new and dynamic combinations while maintaining the integrity of the individual elements. Modeled on the classic bistro, Monsieur Benjamin is casual but chic—French but not faux French. Currently slated to open in 2016, In Situ will be Lee’s high concept restaurant presence at the expanded SFMOMA. Bringing together cuisine from around the world, it will be a culinary crossroads, a place of convergence and conversation.
Print magazine’s Regional Design Annual, for benu website, 2013.
Chobani SoHo – architecture identity graphics accessories objects packaging
Infusing old world tradition into a contemporary experience, the design concept behind Chobani’s flagship yogurt bar draws inspiration from the rural origins of the product as well as SoHo’s industrial past. Detailed with minimalist precision, the sustainable material choices reflect on the natural quality of the brand, while the centerpiece harvest table, an espresso bar, and a seating area provide a place to linger and talk, to pause in a culture of constant movement. Every aspect of the Chobani SoHo identity is considered, from graphics, menus and digital interfaces to staff outfits, gift cards, and packaging for a line of handpicked, small-batch pantry staples. As design agency for the café since its conception, a l m project developed a visual language based on the beauty of whole ingredients, raw surfaces, and reclaimed materials—an aesthetic that communicates the brand’s philosophy of natural food and honest production.
HOW International Design Packaging Merit Award, 2013. Interior Design’s Best of Year Awards honoree, Retail Food category, 2014.
‘lette – architecture graphics accessories packaging
For the design of this Parisian macarons-only bakery, layers of white create a minimal atmosphere to celebrate the vivid colors and delectable tastes of these special almond cookies. The primary display of macarons, arranged pristinely by color and flavor, is the defining environment—from which patrons select their cookies as if picking flowers from a champ de macarons. Drawing on the Paulette (now ‘lette) name and the iconic shape of the macaron, a l m project created the tt emblem and its abstraction into a side view of the macaron. This shape was then applied to a grid, which serves as a reference system not only for the ‘lette identity, signage, and packaging, but also for the store environment. The signature ‘lette à la ronde gift box displays the macarons in an elegant pinwheel of colors.
The Dieline Package Design Awards, 2013. Print magazine’s Creativity & Commerce International Design Review Selection Award, 2009. Architectural Commission of the City of Beverly Hills Architectural Design Award, 2008.
Sunset Delayed – art
The installation engages the idea of limitless space and an inexhaustible future, using black tape to delineate multiple paths converging perspectivally. The seemingly infinite potential of the West inspired our forefathers to appropriate vast expanses of the country; but having reached the western frontier, our perception of space is in a state of transformation. With Kasper Kovitz (resin mural). At the MAK Gallery and Museum for Applied Arts, Vienna, Austria, 2oo7.
Lululemon – packaging
Lululemon gift packs aim to wrap smartly and with conscience. The concept proactively reduces waste during the holidays: no need for tissue paper, note cards, or shopping bags. The tailored, all-integrated gift packs are made of 100% recycled material and printed with soy inks.
Print Magazine’s Creativity & Commerce International Design Review Selection Award (Holiday Gift Packaging), 2009.
Sprinkles – architecture identity graphics accessories objects packaging on the road
Marking a 10-year engagement as architect for Sprinkles stores and creative director for the Sprinkles brand and products, a l m project celebrates a decade of shared success.
With the signature cupcake array at the heart of the design for the first Sprinkles bakery in Beverly Hills, and to date 22 more retail stores worldwide, all the stores share the same aesthetic ingredients, and each is tailored to reflect the local character of its city. As a whole, the world of Sprinkles was created with the desire to express the luminous spirit of the company through a commitment to innovation and excellence – from the website to the Cupcake Mobile, the app to the Cupcake ATM, the Cupcake Tray by Heller to the baking mixes for Williams-Sonoma, the Cookie Cube to the ice cream shop first launched in 2012.
AIA Los Angeles LA Jury Prize and People’s Choice Award for Sprinkles Cupcakes, Beverly Hills, 2006. AIA Chicago Design Merit Award (Interior Architecture), for Sprinkles Cupcakes, Chicago, 2011. AIA Los Angeles Design Citation Award (Architectural Design), for Sprinkles Ice Cream, Beverly Hills, 2012. Interior Design Magazine Best of Year Merit Award, for Sprinkles Ice Cream, Beverly Hills, 2012.
Godiva – packaging
For the proposed Godiva redesign, a l m project set out to refresh the brand’s image: style conscious, elegant, but also fun. So the Godiva identity was essentialized, positioning the chocolate as an everyday luxury. A design system was then built to convey this—emphasizing Godiva’s heritage, reviving the iconic Lady Godiva emblem, using consistent gold lettering and developing a color-coded packaging family. This was extended to the sale environment with redesigned store displays, defining how the public encounters the product. All parts were considered from the center out and from top to bottom, sensitive to the brand’s history and context while reimagining it for a new age.
R.M. Schindler: The Prequel – exhibition design
For this exhibition at the MAK Center for Art and Architecture, curated by Christian Witt-Dörring, the visitor’s itinerary is built around two modes of experience: one in which the historical images and text are explored by visitors turning pages of a dynamic, multi-leaved column; and another in which they are received in an ambient audio-visual projection featuring actress Katie Butler reading the narrative. The installation unfolds across four rooms, each devoted to a single architect whose identity is subtly referenced by the color most characteristic of his work – a reference echoed in ephemera produced to accompany the exhibition. Aligned with the signature glass slot windows and glazed openings of the Schindler house, the rear-projection screens of a l m’s installation illuminate each space, capturing and focusing light the way the house itself does. Swing panels are mounted on a spring-loaded pole system originally designed by Lenardin Madden for her 2014 installation Looking West Facing East, at the Schindler House.
Schindler House, Los Angeles, September 10, 2015 – December 6, 2015.
